Get Away with Dre: Afterwork Adventures – Walks close to public transport
It’s Spring in Sydney and we’re in daylight savings. The days are longer and they’re getting warmer, and you know what that means? More time can be spent outdoors. Why not do a nice walk after work to wind down? Or a cycle after some customer service work to calm down?
It’s best to explore the local trails in your area – work or home – but here are a few options that are close to public transport for some afterwork adventures.
Cooks River Trail
Alight from Tempe station and hop onto the shared path situated across the road from the station parking lot. Easy peasy.
This one’s a nice and easy trail that takes you from Tempe to Strathfield – approximately 22kms in length – or walk to Beaman Park and catch the train fron Dulwich Hill back home – you do you baby.
The Cooks River Trail is more a cycleway. You could easily cycle 44kms afer work if you love bike life, but it’s a nice shared path you can walk or run with drinking fountains, outdoor work out gyms, kids playgrounds, parks, skate parks, table tennis spots, and cafes along the way.
Winifred Falls Track, Royal National Park
Take the Eastern Suburbs & Illawarra Line to Engadine Station, then hop on the 989 bus to Maianbar Rd & Bundeena Dr.
A nice and short 4.4km trail that should take you 1.5 hours (unless you like to swim, because you might want to add an extra hour), and we wouldn’t blame you because this takes you to the best waterfall in the national park .
It’s mostly an easy walk, graded 1, but it gets steep towards the waterfall which gets slippery after rain so having the right footwear will save you.
Overcliff-Undercliff Track, Blue Mountains
Catching a train to the Blue Mountains is an adventure in itself, but it’s worth the ride if you have the time because you get completely transported from work to lush rainforest – that’s the Blue Mountains National Park for you.
From Wentworth Falls Station, the Undercliff trail starts at the Wentworth Falls picinc area nearby, till you get to the Overcliff trail at the Den Fenella junction which takes you to the Conservation Hut. You can return home the same way, or take a shortvut via the Shortcut Track.
It’s a short 3.5km loop that should take you an hour or two to complete.
This lush rainforest walk has waterfalls, swamps, scenic views across Jamison Valley, birdlife and in the warmer months, the wildflowers are wild and free.
This trail forms part of the bigger Grand Cliff Top Walk – 19kms – from Wentworth Falls village to Katoomba.
Turrella Reserve to Girrahween Park, Turrella
Imagine getting off Turrella Station and being transported to a lush rainforest walk through Wolli Creek Valley in the middle of the Bardwell area. Crazy.
This 3 kms walk starts on Henderson Street, at Turrella Reserve – just follow the footpath up and the trail head will be on your left. It’s an out-and-back so you’ll have people going the other way to you. Stick to your left and dogs should be on a leash (yes, it’s pooch friendly). You do have the option of continuing through Girrahween Park to Hartill-Law Ave then walk south to Bardwell Park train station.
Prepare for some rock scrambling, you’ll see some rock climbers on the trail setting up gear along a rock face, and you’ll find a cool bat sactuary along the walk. You’ll hear them before you see them, and it’s a pretty sight to see so many bats hanging upside down in the trees.
Karloo walking track, Royal National Park
This one starts at Heathcote Station and you get the choice to return back the way you came or end at Waterfall Station. It’s a train end-to-end trail, convienent.
Longer than the others, it’s a 10km return walk that should take you 3 hour to complete. It’s moderately challenging but your prize in the end is the Karloo Pool swimming spot which totally makes up for the struggle.
If you don’t want the adventure to end you can continue onto Uloola Falls, which is a nice waterfall, then take the walking trail to Waterfall Station.
